With the cancellation of Povetkin vs. Whyte, Conor Benn has the chance to prove his legitimacy as a boxer against Sebastian Formella.
There’s a lot of intrigue surrounding welterweight boxer Conor Benn. His father is former two-division world champion Nigel Benn, but now Benn has a chance to prove his boxing prowess against welterweight Sebastian Formella.
Saturday, Nov. 21, was supposed to mark the rematch between heavyweights Alexander Povetkin and Dillian Whyte. Povetkin survived two knockdowns in the fourth round of their first meeting in August but dropped Whyte in round 5 for the TKO victory.
In early November, the rematch was canceled after Povetkin tested positive for COVID-19. Their fight was off, but Benn vs. Formella was elevated to the main event. Benn (16-0, 11 KOs) is 24 years old, and he has shown athleticism and power in previous bouts, but he hasn’t been tested against a truly serviceable opponent. Formella isn’t the best welterweight, but he’s recognized as a tough fighter who can take a punch.
Formella (22-1, 10 KOs) lost his last fight against former champion Shawn Porter, but he went the distance and handled some of Porter’s best punches despite losing a lopsided unanimous decision. Still, Formella’s performance vouched for his stout chin and durability.
According to Oddsshark.com, Benn is the favorite against Formella by a slim margin. Many are anticipating Benn to be the stronger, more physical fighter, but he assured the media during a recent media call that he’s not looking past Formella.
“There’s no overlooking him,” said Benn of Formella. “Not from me anyway, but maybe other people. He doesn’t really look like a hard geezer, does he? People that don’t know boxing probably think Conor is gonna blow him out. No. It’s a big step up. It’s a big test. I’ll answer a lot of questions Saturday.”
There’s a lot of hype surrounding Conor Benn, and he can take it to another level with an impressive victory over Sebastian Formella
Benn’s résumé is thin in terms of talent. He had also shown a deficit of tactical boxing talent, as was the case in 2017 when he was dropped twice in the first round by Cedrick Peynaud. To Benn’s credit, he recovered and returned the favor, scoring knockdowns in rounds 5 and 6 to earn a decision victory.
That was three years ago, and Benn is adamant that he takes boxing more seriously today than when he turned professional more than four years ago.
“When I turned pro, it was fun and jokes,” said Benn. ‘It was enjoying the ride. When I got signed by Matchroom, it was all hype. And then it got real. As I went through the levels, there were certain things that showed that I needed working on.”
Formella respects Benn as a boxer, but he sees flaws. He’s not revealing what they are, but he insists they’re there.
“Of course, but I can’t talk about it now,” said Formella about Benn’s shortcomings. “Everybody has something that is not good.”
While Formella is fighting on Benn’s home turf at the SSE Arena at Wembley in England, Formella feels like all the pressure is on Benn.
“It’s the first time it’s a main event for him,” said Formella. “The pressure on him is very big. Everybody knows his dad. The pressure on him is very big.”
Benn needs a convincing win if he wants to prove to the boxing world that he’s a real welterweight threat. He’s an engaging boxer that puts on a good show, but now he has a shot to show that he can step up in the welterweight rankings.
“I believe I’m one of the most entertaining British welterweights,” said Benn. “There’s a long way left to go. I’m 24, so five years left in the game still, six years. There’s a long way left to go.”
You can watch the Conor Benn vs. Sebastian Formella main event on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 2 p.m ET exclusively on DAZN.